The Fall 2021 Let’s Talk about Forced Labor program, produced by the Walton College Business Integrity Leadership Initiative and sponsored by J.B. Hunt Transportation Services, consists of a book, 2 guest speakers, and a workshop.
This program will explore the topic of forced labor, a form of coercive employment that is a common component of modern slavery. According to Anti-Slavery International, 24.9 million people are in forced labor worldwide and children account for up to 10 million of these victims.
The Let’s Talk about Forced Labor book of the semester is: Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World by Kevin Bales, a professor of Contemporary Slavery and research director at the University of Nottingham, UK. Blood and Earth explores the connection between modern slavery and ecological destruction, the supply chain that supports it, and what consumers can do to make a difference.
Kevin Bales will also be the first speaker of the semester. In addition to his academic leadership, Bales is a Pulitzer-nominated author and co-founder of the Free the Slaves organization in Washington, D.C. He sits on the board of the Freedom Fund and is considered a leading expert on modern-day slavery. Bales will present in-person and via Zoom.
The second speaker, Matthew Friedman, is an international human trafficking expert and human rights advocate. Friedman is the founder and CEO of the Mekong Club, a Hong Kong-based organization that uncovers and addresses slavery in the private sector. He is an accomplished public speaker and has presented across the country for 100+ organizations, including Disney and Bank of America. Friedman will present via Zoom.
Our program will conclude with an educational workshop where we will discuss the take-aways from our speakers and book in more detail. This workshop will be led by Greer Woodruff, the Senior VP of Safety, Security & Driver Personnel at J.B. Hunt, and Kendis Paris, executive director and co-founder of nonprofit organization Truckers Against Trafficking.
The schedule of events for the Let’s Talk about Forced Labor program is as follows:
Event
Date/Time
Registration Link
Student Career Readiness Badge Opportunity:
Undergraduate Students:
Earn the badge by completing the activities:
- Attending or watching the recording of TWO guest speaker talks.
- Participating in ONE workshop hosted by J.B. Hunt.
- Completing ONE optional activity:
- Writing ONE reflection.
- Write a 5 - 6 sentence (minimum) reflection on your top 3 takeaways from one of the events.
- Reading this semester’s book.
- Write a 5 - 8 sentence (minimum) reflection on your top 3 takeaways from the book.
Graduate Students
Earn the badge by completing the activities:
- Attending or watching the recording of TWO guest speaker talks and writing a 5 - 8 sentence (minimum) reflection on your top 3 takeaways.
- Participating in ONE workshop hosted by J.B. Hunt and writing a 5 - 8 sentence (minimum) reflection on your top 3 takeaways.
- Reading this semester’s book.
- Write a 5 - 8 sentence (minimum) reflection on your top 3 takeaways from the book.
Community e-Certificate
Community attendees can achieve an e-certificate by completing the following Let's Talk about Forced Labor activities:
- Read the book and submit a summary of what you learned to wcobili@walton.uark.edu
- Attend both of the 2 speaker presentations and submit summaries of what you learned to wcobili@walton.uark.edu
- Attend the educational workshop on forced labor and submit a summary of what you learned to wcobili@walton.uark.edu
